Getting Personal: Going Vegan – A Compassionate Lifestyle Change

It has been just over one month since my last personal post and so much has changed in that time. Last week I told you about my experience with Hypoxi, which has gently led me to take a hard look at my body and after the health troubles I had last year it has also made me rethink my eating habits. I am a notoriously unhealthy person. My diet would generally consist of sugar in every form (chocolate, lollies, soft drink, etc), very little liquid intake (I hate drinking water. Trust me, I have tried it in every possible way) and no exercise. So how I got from that to making this life changing decision is a little complex. I am on the road to becoming vegan and I can’t wait to tell you all about how I got to this point.

Past Food Habits

I am the girl who will buy a tub of Betty Crocker icing (chocolate, of course) and eat it with a spoon for dinner. Sugar and chocolate are my weakness, but even more than that Dairy takes the cake for my most favourite food group. Sorry, I should say it WAS my favourite food group. Ice cream, milk, cheese …. I could eat it non-stop even though my lactose intolerant body was telling me not to. In fact, I am not even considered lactose intolerant by medical professionals. My problem was I just consumed so much of it my body couldn’t process it anymore.

Despite my love for consuming dairy, I have never been a fan of animal produced products. Since I was a teenager I disliked meat but not because of the taste (I actually quite like the taste of meat). Why I don’t like meat is because when I was in high school we were made to watch a video that explains where meat comes from. Basically it showed the entire process of how an animal goes from farm to plate. I don’t even remember why the teacher was showing us the video because I was so blinded with disgust by the images I saw all I could think about was the rage boiling within me. From that day I became vegetarian and was strictly so for 8 years.

My thought process at the time was that if I am not eating meat than less animals are being killed on my behalf. Seemed rather simple and I was very proud of my non-meat diet. However, I was not exactly eating to replace the “nutrients” meat provides. Meat doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits that you cannot get elsewhere, but in this particular scenario I wasn’t eating the things that would give me those benefits. Mushrooms, legumes, beans, seeds …. they weren’t in my diet. I basically ate potatoes and lettuce because that was what I liked to eat. Of course after 8 years I became quite ill and the final diagnosis on my declining health was malnourishment. It was proposed that I eat a little bit of red meat each week or get daily shots to replace what I am missing. I was told no amount of beans or mushrooms would make up for the damage I had done (although I am sure that was just doctor speak for “it is too hard to do the compassionate thing so just eat meat”). I was also told tablets were no good by this stage because my body just didn’t have the ability to absorb and breakdown the vitamins. I decided on eating a small piece of red meat a couple of times a week.

Losing My Way

Once I made that decision to have a bit of red meat it didn’t take me long to lose my way. For the first year or so I generally still chose vegetarian meals when eating out or ordering takeaway, but when it came to going to a really nice restaurant where I know a certain meat dish is done really well, I would give in and order meat. I felt that choosing to eat only particular meat dishes wasn’t as bad as eating every kind of meat dish.

Clearly I lost my motivation as to why I became vegetarian in the first place. Over the last couple of years it had really weighed on my mind but I still found myself eating meat when/where I never would have previously. A hot dog from the local sausage sizzle, a chicken finger sandwhich, a mini meat pie ….. I never would have touched those things but here I was eating them. It really was wreaking havoc on my conscious.

The question I would often ask myself is why do I get so upset about a tortured dog or cat, but not the millions of pigs, sheep, goats and cows that are tortured daily? Why do I get disgusted when someone thinks eating a horse, dog or crocodile is ok but not when they eat cattle? As a passionate animal advocate I should be equally disgusted by the mistreatment of ALL animals. That is what kept me awake at night.

The Shining Light

Just before starting my experience with Hypoxi I liked a page on Facebook called Cruelty Free World. I had always been a PETA fan and regularly visit their website, but for some reason this particular Facebook page really spoke to me. It shares really important messages that I whole-heartedly believe and they don’t just push the usual horrifying image of a dead animal. There are lots of good and inspiring stories as well as cold, hard facts.

Once I began Hypoxi and I had my new outlook on looking after myself, it was the Cruelty Free World Facebook page that really drove the message home. I needed to learn what I was putting in my body and the more I looked into it the more horrified I was. My earlier belief that not eating meat was enough to stop animals being needlessly tortured for my selfish gain was so very very wrong. I finally understood what Veganism really was and why it is such an important lifestyle choice.

I know most people see vegans as these crazy, meditating hippies. It is stereotyped that Vegans are in your face about how meat eaters are cruel and disgusting. I think that is an unfair stereotype. I really hope I don’t turn into one of those crazy pushers but to be honest, the more I learn about the world of farming and where our food comes from it makes me want to share my findings with others. I feel the biggest issue here is a lack of education and that people really have no idea what they are actually funding. The fact of the matter is, if you think animals are only killed for meat you are wrong. If you think no animals die for cheese, milk, eggs, etc …. you are wrong. And I was wrong for thinking that too so this is where my decision comes in.

Meat isn’t the only reason animals are killed. These are male chicks, a “by product” of the egg industry.

My Final Decision

So the decision is made. I am on the path to becoming a full fledged vegan and I couldn’t be happier about it. I know how hard it will be, in fact, it has been really hard already and I am only a few weeks in but I am starting off right. All the literature and advice I have read says to start by eliminating one animal at a time. I decided to start with Chickens because they are one of the most abused species for food. The only problem I have encountered so far is that despite vowing to only cut out Chickens for now, I am still finding it very difficult to consume any animal products. It actually tastes bad and the overwhelming guilt I feel afterwards is not worth it.

What does this mean for the blog? Don’t worry, nothing will change with this blog. You may or may not know but I actually vowed to not buy products tested on animals or using animal ingredients a very long time ago. Even though I make it clear that I am personally against animal cruelty, I believe I can’t force others to make that choice, it is something you have to decide on your own. I include a disclaimer with every review I publish stating the product/brand animal cruelty policy. This is for your information and I hope you use it to make an educated decision based on your own beliefs. I can’t force you one way or another. I recieve lots of products from companies for consideration, some of which do test on animals or include animal ingredients, and I do review them if I believe (or you tell me outright) it is something you want to see reviewed. This isn’t about going against my personal beliefs but, once again, I believe educating people is more powerful than badgering them so I hope you take the time to read what I write and learn about what you are putting on your skin or in your body.

I am very excited about my new healthy eating habits and so far they have been delicious. Plus, I have been sleeping a lot better and my nightmares about my dogs dying have completely wavered (something that was terrifying me for the past year). I truly believe my body and my mind was trying to tell me what I needed to do, that veganism is the only way forward if I want to be fit, healthy and sleep well at night (and get my slim body back!). It won’t be easy, and I will probably need lots of support and guidance, but I am determined and motivated.

The last thing I want to say on my new lifestyle is this …..

You never see a fat vegan, do you? I rest my case.

What do you think about veganism? Are you already a vegan or vegetarian? Let me know by commenting below!

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Recently I became an 90%raw vegan (on the weekends I do cooking love soup is all I’m saying)
Before I made the move, I spent months on Facebook vegan sites like One Green Planet, etc….just gathering recipes until I felt I had enough to keep me happy.
This made the transition so seamless and easy. (I even found a local restaurant called Peace Love and Raw, in case I wanted to eat out.

I do avoid the sites that talk about animal cruelty and most of my friends are meat eaters…and this really keeps me from becoming preachy..if people ask, I tell..but mostly I keep it to myself so I don’t become a bore. (I find most of the reason people say judge-y things is because they already feel guilty..they don’t need or want me to make them feel worse.) Although it’s hard sometimes.

I just let my weight loss and improving body function to motivate people 🙂
Good luck with your journey, keep meals interesting so you don’t get bored…and remember, there are fat vegans the vegan diet can be high in fat (nuts, oil, avocados etc are still high fat) I gained weight at one point until I realized this and was more careful about the fat content of food. Yes, they’re healthier fat, but still fat!

Since reading this post a month ago and chatting with you on Twitter about this lifestyle I have read skinny bitch and watched Earthlings and I too have begun on this journey. I cried for days after Earthlings. I have now made so many changes to my personal path and my business path. Thank you for pointing out the things that I “just didnt get”.I always thought the chickens were in the fields like the picture on the egg packaging. I am feeling better spiritially and physically but find it hard not to be one of those full on Activists…..

I have to admit I too am seriously struggling with not becoming the raging activist. My personal Facebook page is littered with crazy ramblings and I know many of my close friends and family refuse to listen to me anymore. I have always believed education is a powerful thing, but I never realised how once you are educated on such emotional topics like animal treatment you feel the urgent need to share everything you have learnt.

One thing I do think is working for me is having a few fellow vegans I can talk to when I am struggling with understanding the world. I don’t have any real-life vegan friends but that is why Facebook and Twitter have been a huge support. I have found like minded people who “get it” and don’t think I am insane for changing my life.

I saw this on facebook this morning and it is really nice
”The truth is I feel humbled being vegan rather than superior to those who aren’t. I have no cause to be self-righteous. There was a time when I ate animals and made excuses, and I feel grateful to be armed with knowledge and awareness and to be able to act on my values of compassion and kindness. Rather than feel morally superior to people who eat animals, I feel great sorrow for the animals who suffer and for the humans who inflict that suffering. If we keep this big picture in mind, we can create the compassionate world we all envision.” ~Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
xx

I agree with that 100% and have seen it floating around for a while so I always share it. Vegans are often accused of thinking they are better than everyone else and I hate that. Personally don’t feel I am a better human being than someone else because I don’t eat animals, I just want to educate others as to why I don’t but that can be easily misinterpreted.

All we can do is hope the more we shed light on the practices of animal farming the more people will reconsider their choices.

That is the only thing we can do. Personally it has been such a positive experience for me. Since starting my journy to compassionate living I have also quit smoking and quit drinking a six pack of beer a night. I am changing the whole direction of my business. It all feels right. And you have played a big part in it so thanks. xx

Great post Kimmi! So proud of you putting your health first and all for a good cause. I too am starting to question eating meat. Being of European background too it’s so drilled in us to eat it all the time! The cruelty you see more and more lately due to social media makes me sick. But I like you, if I’m going to quit meat then I must consider Cosmetics and the fashion I purchase.

Can’t do things half way. So you’re definitely and inspiration and I know it’s tough but in the long run your body will love you and thank you.

Thank-you for taking the time to read this Tash. I know we have butted heads (as we always do!) on certain topics such as fur but I have always respected your decision. I think for me it is just a matter of being an informed consumer, and I think all people should know exactly where our money goes and what it does. In my case, I am very open that I earn money from blogging and if I have an affiliate link you will see my disclaimer at the bottom of every post. I want people to know that if their money is coming to me it is only so I can live to further create this blog for their enjoyment. It is a business belief I have always had, clarity on the use of revenue, and I regret that it took me so long to apply it to the things I pay for like fashion, food and entertainment.

Just to touch on the whole heritage thing, I was raised by european jews and to cut a long story short, we are raised believing that as long as we eat kosher meat and produce we aren’t hurting animals because our religion requires us to cause minimal harm to them in the name of our survival. It was only last year what I learnt was considered “minimal harm” and it made me sick. Basically, “minimal harm” isn’t as minimal as you are lead to believe. My choice now is that yes I may have been raised one way but as an adult I now know better and I am the one who has to live with my choices.

BUT, I am not going to lie. The thought of you considering to cut down on your animal-product use is exciting for me. I do hope you take the path but I am not going to pressure you. I am not going to pressure anyone. As always I am just going to share my journey, my stories and the interesting things I find along the way. If you need me, I am here for you. Just as I have always been and always will be.

I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years but I would eat dairy and lollies etc I have been vegan since the start of this year. I just read too much, knew too much- I had to do it. And I haven’t regretted it since! My skin is clearer, my eyes are brighter, my energy levels are up and I feel better knowing that I am not harming any animals. I have gone vegan with my cosmetics and skincare too and am in the processes of replacing any unused non-vegan products. I will no longer be buying leather, wool or silk and I am trying to cut back on the amount that I do wear.

It is definitely a step in the right direction. I haven’t found it hard AT ALL but I am also lucky since I live in an area full of amazing gourmet vegan food-alternatives- I haven;t missed cheese or chocolate one bit.

Keep up the good work hun, you are on a journey that is going to be amazing x

That is fabulous to hear! I admit I am on struggle street with Chocolate, it has been my one addiction for the last 5 years and breaking the addiction isn’t easy but I have cut it down a huge amount and I don’t think it will be long because it has been cut completely. I just need to find lots of alternatives and so far it has been pretty easy.

I am glad to hear there are a few people at the same stage as us, having gone vegan at the start of this year, so we should have a good solid support group to help each other through.

It looks like you are starting your journey similar to me. I went dairy free about a month and a half or so ago to take care of my acne. My skin has done really well, so I have contemplated veganism to keep going. I watched a documentary on Netflix recently called Vegucated, and boy did I really not like watching the animal treatment. Even from the so called “better” farms. I have been a meat eater all of my life and do enjoy it, but I think in the long run it isn’t good for me.

It will be a hard change for me, so I have been including more and more vegan meals into my diet. I am also reading up about what I should be eating to be healthy, because I don’t want to just skip meat without thinking about what I should be eating in its place to maintain my health. I already take vitamin supplements, but I wanna be sure I am getting everything I need.

I am really glad we are kind of at the same point in our journey, Leticia. I too get worried about making sure I have enough of the right vitamins and stuff to keep my health up, especially because I have known issues with absorbing supplements, but I got the best advice last week from my nutritionist about it. Basically the way to ensure you get everything you need from your food is to make sure any 2 items from the foollowing list are in every meal:
1. Nuts/Seeds
2. Grains
3. Legumes

You don’t need all 3 in each meal but you need a combo of two. i.e. Nuts and Grains, or Legumes and Seeds, etc. If you do that you will get the essential protein you need.

Being in the USA you will have access to a LOT more vegan friendly groceries and supplies than I do, including awesome online stores, but I will keep you posted on anything yummy or awesome I find. Oh and if you want some extra insight into why Vegan is a good way to go, definitely watch the doco Food Inc!

ash

hi!

I applaud your stance, as an animal lover myself, I totally get it – I just have to point out, though, that your comment “Meat doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits that you cannot get elsewhere” is not actually correct (since you’re talking veganism, I’m assuming when you say ‘meat’, you’re incorporating all animal products in your statement).

As you’re discussing improving your health, you need to know that animal products contain B12. You can’t get B12 from plants. You can die from lack of B12, but on the way towards death you can develop serious mental issues akin to dementia/alzheimers, and if left untreated too long, they can be permanent. If you’re not taking in any animal products, you NEED to supplement.

I have to say – while I absolutely applaud the ethical stance, the B12 issue tells me that on a cellular/genetic/evolutionary/whatever standpoint, we are built to require animal products to survive, like true carnivores can’t survive only on plants, we are omnivores, and we can’t either…..but we CAN make the best choices in our power 🙂

Hi Ash, you are absolutely correct that B12 is a vital nutrient for humans and while cavemen couldn’t have survived on a plant only diet, today omnivores can. B12 is now available in many forms suitable for vegans. I won’t pretend I can explain it intelligently so I will just refer you to http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/vegansources which outlines it far greater than I can.

I definitely understand and respect your point of view, but as I said I think in todays world we have so many amazing things available to us that can provide us everything we need without killing others.

Hi Ash,
Kimmi may not have been fully educated enough around veganism at the time to respond to your outlandish statement about needing meat for the vitamins, so I thought I’d respond.
First of all, the main way to get essential B12 is from the soil. That’s right, it’s in the soil, NOT the animals. Animals eat grass and vegetables and grains from the soil and so it is absorbed into their system. A small amount of B12 remains behind in their dead flesh (though it is quite a negligible amount). Humans used to also eat vegetables and grains straight from the ground without washing and processing them, so we too absorbed the B12 along with the animals. Nowadays, we wash and process our veg, so the B12 bacteria are washed away. However soy milk, nuts and nutritional yeast (something most vegans love and eat by the spoonful as it gives a delicious ‘cheesy’ flavour to homemade non-dairy cheeses and sauces) are rich sources of B12.

As you may have noticed from the above Ash (and by all means, don’t just take my word for it, feel free to research the hell out of this yourself, you’ll come up with the same answers), B12 is NOT a naturally occurring vitamin in animals so this does not prove your earlier statement that it means we were meant to eat meat as early humans got it from the dirt just the same as the animals. Secondly, as vegans eat plentiful amounts of nuts, soy and nutritional yeast, most of us have HIGH levels of B12. I’ve been vegan almost 2yrs and just had my bloods taken. My B12 was OFF THE CHARTS high. PS- I do NOT supplement anything, my diet is nutritionally complete, as are all vegan diets. It’s a total myth that we all pop vitamins to make up for the nutritional deficiencies in our diet as there are none. To add to that I’ll let you know my CALCIUM, IRON and PROTEIN all came back optimal to high and my cholesterol was super, duper low while my glucose levels were perfect.

Finally, both yourself and Kimmi stated we’re ‘omnivores’, backing up your original point that we’re designed to eat meat. Again, I can only assume Kimmi was still getting educated on this, or else she would have corrected you, as humans are 100% HERBIVORES. Some quick facts about this:
-All natural-born meat eating species (carnivores, omnivores) have sharp claws and teeth to rip through raw flesh and fur (think: lions, wolves, dogs), while all herbivorous species have flat teeth to grind fruit and nuts (think: monkeys, chimpanzees, humans).

-The jaws of ALL natural-born meat eating species ONLY move up and down in order to rip, tear and swallow the flesh, while the jaws of herbivores move from side-to-side in a grinding motion to chew up vegetables (PS: this is how humans chew). Like every other herbivorous species on the planet, humans have flat molars for grinding fibrous veg. NO natural-born meat eating species have these as their teeth are all sharp and pointy for tearing raw flesh.

-Carnivores/omnivores have short intestinal tracts in order to quickly process meat and stop it from rotting and fermenting in their gut and allowing the cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat in the meat to pass into their systems. For that reason, it is PHYSICALLY AND BIOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for meat-eating species to clog their arteries with these things. You’re welcome to look this up yourself, you’ll find it has never ever happened. On the other hand, the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in humans, with our LONG intestinal tracts designed to break down the finer in vegetables, is heart disease from HARDENED ARTERIES.
-All herbivorous species possess special unique enzymes in their saliva for breaking down the finer in fruit and veg. Not ONE. SINGLE. meat-eating species on the planet has these. Humans have these herbivorous enzymes.
-Finally, species that are born/designed/’meant’ to eat meat or however you want to put it, have a natural instinct to hunt, kill and eat animals. Humans possess zero of these instincts. No human being would go into a field, jump on a rabbit, catch it in their bare teeth and rip it apart in their mouth – fur, ears, ligaments, muscles, anus and all – and proceed to eat it down to the bone. We do not have this instinct from birth either. It’s the reason that if you put an apple and a rabbit in a crib with a two year old child it will not instinctively play with the apple and eat the rabbit as any other meat-eating species would do. We have simply acquired a TASTE for meat and animal products after having them shoved down our throats through our childhoods. And even as grown adults we don’t and won’t kill our own meat and need to season and cook it, unlike vegetables and fruits which we can and do often eat raw.

I suggest you research more about this Ash as you are unfortunately a product of a lot of brainwashing by the meat and dairy industries. I’m going to guess that like most people, you believe we are supposed to eat these things because they’re on the food pyramid and you don’t actually realise that members from the agricultural (meat) and dairy industry were part of the board that designed the pyramid. Financial interest much?

On a final note in response to your claim that we are supposed to eat meat Ash, you may be interested to know that all animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) are highly acidic in the body. The body absolutely must maintain a constant pH homeostasis of alkalinity. All corpses are acidic and if we become too acidic while we’re alive, we die. That’s just a medical fact and you can look it up in any biology journal. So when we eat acidic meat and dairy products (they register quite high on the pH scale, feel free to look this up for yourself too), our bodies must neutralise the acid to get our bodies back to homeostasis. The strongest neutralising agent in the human body is calcium phosphate – or as you know it, just plan old calcium. It lives inside our bones. So when we eat meat and dairy, our bodies are forced to pull calcium phosphate from our bones to neutralise the acid. The calcium is ten excreted in our urine. It is not a coincidence that the countries with the highest rates of animal product consumption in the world including the U.S and Oz, also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Not to mention the hardened arteries and raised cholesterol levels consuming these things causes – none of these biological actions happen in natural-born meat eating species.

I am currently suffering from the worst bout of itching and bad health I have ever had and it is diet related although I’m not sure that I could jump to vegan – I just need more balance and way less sweet stuff I think. It is interesting that you got the advice on your body not being able to absorb nutrients, I am also in that boat and off to the nutritionalist on Friday for my first visit. Changing bad habits of a lifetime is a big challenge so once again I applaud you and am hoping to be continually inspired by your journey. Good luck.

Thank-you Amanda. Itching skin was one of my worst ailments (that is why I do so many posts on the subject) but it has really backed off since changing my diet. Jumping to Vegan is hard but as I mentioned I am cutting out one animal at a time and so far I haven’t struggled at all. I know there will be times when it will be difficult but so far it has been a breeze and I have never felt so happy about something. I am naturally a pessimistic person so the fact I believe I can do this should really help others see that they can do it too, if they want to.

Have you seen the doco Food Inc (http://www.takepart.com/foodinc)? I would definitely recommend watching it if you are trying to work out what you should and shouldn’t be having in your diet. Obviously I don’t know the nutritionist you are going to see but I did see many of them when I was sick and the majority of them were telling me to consume things that were actually making me sick. The only one I have ever seen who actually made me extremely healthy was Janella Purcell (http://janellapurcell.com/). Do keep me posted on your health and eating battles because it is a pain I know all too well and it can be hard to find support from those who haven’t been through it.

I have never, and probably will never, become vegetarian or vegan. However, I do try to make better choices. For example, I buy local free range eggs (I’ve visited the farm and am happy with the company’s beliefs and methods) and try as often as possible to buy free range chicken. I try to buy local beef and lamb (which, FYI, lamb isn’t actually lamb these days. It’s usually sheep – as a country kid I have a lot of farmer friends 🙂 ). And hey, this doesn’t make me perfect, but it’s a start. We each have our own beliefs, and it’s okay not to agree. Doesn’t make anyone a bad person. Just means we see things differently. x

I totally respect your choices Chelsea and I applaud you for actually going to the farm to see how your chickens are treated. As I said, I am not going to push my beliefs on others but I do hope people will take more initiative and learn the truth about where their food comes from.

I know we all have different beliefs and I totally respect others IF they know what they are actually believing in. If people can watch a ‘farm-to-plate’ document, such as Food Inc (http://www.takepart.com/foodinc) and still make advocate for factory farming than that is fine, I totally respect that because people have done their part to educate themselves and are content with the end result.

Hi Chelsea,
Just to let you know what you are saying is very lovely but there his quite a dramatic difference between saying you love animals and actually acting on it through your entire lifestyle, as Kimmi is doing. In the course of her lifetime she’ll save around 3,000 animals by going vegan.
While visiting farms is a lovely experience, sadly it highlights the ignorance of the general public thanks to a lot of really great brainwashing by the meat and dairy industries. No vegan would disagree that there are LOTS of fantastic farms around where the animals live quite well. But did you go to the abbortoire (slaughterhouse) after the farm, Chelsea?

Unfortunately most people don’t connect the dots that after the cow/chicken/pig has grown fat on the farm the farmer wipes his hands clean of it and sells it toy the abbortoire. Laws in Australia state that these animals trucked for killing can be denied ALL food and water for the last two days of their lives. Feel free to look this up, it’s part of Australian law as it saves a lot of money and time by not feeding them or giving them water once they’re off the farm. Those next two days the animals become so dehydrated and terrified on the crowded trucks that they do not want to move off the truck into the slaughterhouse where they are to be killed, so the only way to get them off the truck is to use electric volts to electrocute and hurt them enough so they will run screaming in pain off the truck. Please keep in mind this happens to every animal once it is sold from the farm to be made into meat – it doesn’t matter if it came from a farm where the farmer persona;;y tucked it into bed every night. ALL animals suffer horrific pain, torture and suffering in the final week of their life and it’s all legal.

Finally, those animals you saw on the farms that were all happy will be stunned in the head with electric volts which are supposed to render the unconscious for the awful things that are to happen next. Unfortunately, it’s estimated up to 50% of the time, the animals are still conscious. Which is why wen they are next hung upside down to have a knife ripped through their bodies, many animals drop to the ground writhing in pain. I know this Chelsea because I have seen it. It doesn’t matter that the cow had a happy tie on the farm beforehand.

You’re probably also not aware that all mother dairy cows you see on dairy farms are forcibly impregnated so they will make milk. (A device called a ‘rape rack’ is shoved up their vagina and bull semen is inserted) Only once they have their babies, the dairy industry doesn’t want the babies to drink their mothers milk as that will mean they won’t be able to sell it. So the babies are ripped from their mother’s (if you are ever unluckily enough to see this you will hear one of the worst bellowing screams you’ve ever heard in your life from the mother cow) and the babies are then killed and turned into veal. The mother will be forcibly impregnated (raped) until her body gives out at which point she is killed.

The images of green grass and rolling hills we see on marketing material and also in person if we visit many of these farms, is only one very small part of the picture and sadly most people like yourself Chelsea, are trusting people and believe the meat and dairy industries have given them the full story, not that they would deliberately brainwash us into participating in the most inhumane and horrific violence so that they can get rich.

Again, I encourage you to become more informed on your assumptions Chelsea, the information is readily available. I recommend looking at the Animals Australia site, the Animal Justice Party of Australia site, PETA and the RSPCA sites to name a few. Sadly the real story is much more horrible than what you described in your post.

And remember, being kind to animals means not consuming violence and cruelty. While it may seem difficult, we really can’t say we love animals while eating and drinking things that are full of violence and horrific suffering. It’s easy to talk the talk, and walking the walk is much harder as Kimmi described, but it is worth it. There are vegan versions of everything so you don’t have to miss out. You can get everything from mock meat to dairy free cheese, milk, ice-cream and chocolate. I still enjoy all my have flavours since going vegan and now I can say I’m not just talking about loving animals, but my lifestyle is directly causing thousands of their lives to be saved. I hope you will read more, become better informed and follow in Kimmi’s footsteps. I’m sure she can offer you lots of great support and advice. 😉

I echo your sentiment 100% about originally thinking that just not eating meat is the kindest way. Many people don’t realise that the male calves (hello, veal!) and chicks also die just so that we can have milk and eggs. (In a farmer’s eyes: keeping them is pointless and costly as they can’t give birth.)

There were two turning points for me in becoming “vegan”. 1) If you spend a little bit of time looking up vegan recipes, there is some seriously good food out there (and this is coming from a total foodie – I never feel like I’m missing out!) and 2) you truly can get all the nutrition you need from plants. After all, if meat is so important for protein and iron, where do cows get their protein and iron from? (Hint: grass!)

I am most definitely not your “stereotyped” vegan. I prefer to call it a plant-based diet: one that’s kind to me, animals and the environment. I truly believe that we will see a massive shift with many people adopting this lifestyle in the years to come.

I remember the first time I found out male calves are killed (I think it was end of last year). I couldn’t believe I had gone 25+ years believing I wasn’t hurting animals by drinking milk, eating cheese, etc.

You are so right about the protein and iron. I feel like our education system is seriously flawed because in school we learnt that the ONLY source of protein and iron was meat. We were never taught otherwise and I think that is so uncool. On top of that you have big farming unions who pay a lot of money for effective ad campaigns, but you never see the same coming from a vegan society, etc. It is a shame farming is such big business because I see it as blood money. Very very bloody money.

I didn’t include this in the post because I kind of wasn’t sure how to incorporate it but when you actually look up the definition of vegan, vegetarian, etc it is funny how many vegetarians aren’t actually vegetarian. For the sake of anyone else reading this comment, I am going to give the official definitions below for those who are interested:

Vegetarian: A person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.
Lacto-vegetarian: A vegetarian whose diet includes dairy produce and eggs
Vegan: A person who does not eat or use animal products

Well done Kimmi!
I am so proud of you.
I was vegetarian for years, but have now done what you did, I’ve had to start incorporating meat for the sake of my health.

Not that it really matters to the animal but I refuse to buy meat from Coles/Safeways and buy from organic/local sources.
I would love to follow you to be vegan, but at this point for my health, I have to continue with the meat. Everybody is different and I applaud you for following this path not just for the animals, but also your health.

P.S Yes, I have seen an overweight vegan, in fact, she had been vegan for about 8 years when I met her

I know it was a hard decision for you to start eating meat and I really hope once you have your health on track you can join me on the vegan path. Not buying meat from the big supermarkets is definitely a start but unfortunately even the organic and local producers still operate the exact same as the other supermarket farmers, they just do it on a smaller scale.

The overweight vegan concerns me but i like to think that now I am vegan I will resemble Phoebe Tonkin within the next few weeks, haha.

Absolutely.
As soon as I get my health back on track I plan on going back to vegetarianism – have considered vegan, and I might just do that.
You’re going to hate me for this one, but my main concern is giving up leather. I just love shoes…

But if you need a hand with recipes, or just to vent, I am always here xo
The first 6-8 weeks are the hardest

Thanks Lexi, I will definitely come to you for some venting if I need to. I think Leather would be tough for me too, but the fact of the matter is I can’t afford new shoes or bags anyway so it isn’t going to be overly difficult. I can’t afford new anything so I think I will be fine but if I do trip up I will be honest and own up to it.